Glendale, Kentucky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Glendale, Kentucky
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Main Street
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 Glendale, Kentucky
Location in Kentucky
Glendale, Kentucky
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Hardin |
| Elevation | 705 ft (215 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EST) |
| ZIP code |
42740
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| Area code(s) | 270 & 364 |
| GNIS feature ID | 492892 |
Glendale is a small community in Hardin County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is part of the Elizabethtown area.
Contents
History of Glendale
Railroad's Role in Glendale
Glendale was once called Walker's Station. This name came from a store owned by Lewis B. Walker. A post office opened there on March 2, 1859, with Lewis B. Walker as the first postmaster. The town was later renamed Glendale, possibly after a railroad employee's hometown.
A train station was built in Glendale in 1864 along the Louisville and Nashville Railroad tracks. It was updated in 1905. The old station became a freight room, with new waiting rooms for passengers and an agent's office. The original station building was taken down in the 1930s.
Even today, the sound of trains passing through Glendale is common. People who grew up in Glendale remember trains picking up and dropping off mail. A person on the train would throw out a mailbag for the Glendale postmaster. For outgoing mail, the postmaster would hang a special mailbag on a "mail hook" by the tracks. A mechanical arm on the train would grab this bag as the train passed. This method was called "mail on the fly" because the train did not need to stop.
There is a story that the famous outlaw Jesse James once robbed the Glendale bank.
Education in Glendale
Glendale was once home to a college called Lynnland. In 1867, it opened as the Lynnland Female Institute, a school for girls. A Baptist preacher, Rev. Colson, led the school.
After two years, Confederate Brigadier General William F. Perry took over the school. He changed it into the Lynnland Military Institution, which operated until 1879. From 1879 to 1888, it was a family home.
In 1888, it reopened as the Lynnland Female Institute. In 1905, it was sold to the Kentucky Baptist Education Society. In 1915, it became the Kentucky Baptist Children's Home. Many people in Glendale knew it as the Glendale Children's Home until it closed in 2009. Many young people who lived there received good care. They went to Gilead Baptist Church and attended Glendale Elementary and High School.
Glendale schools changed names in 1964 to East Hardin Elementary and High School. East Hardin Elementary closed in 1971, but the high school continued. In the 1990s, East Hardin High School became East Hardin Middle School. High school students then went to Central Hardin High School in Cecilia. East Hardin Middle School closed permanently in October 2021. The middle school moved to a new building in Elizabethtown. The old Glendale school campus is currently empty.
The school's mascot, "Rebels," was also changed. This mascot showed a Southern Civil War-era colonel. It was often linked with "Rebel flags" for school spirit. Over time, the school stopped allowing the flags in the mid-1990s. Eventually, the mascot image was also dropped. The Hardin County school system decided the "Rebel" concept was controversial. It was seen as connected to pro-slavery and pro-racism. The mascot was replaced with "Bruins" when the school moved.
Women's Rights in Glendale
Glendale was important for the women's suffrage movement in Kentucky. This movement worked for women's right to vote. Mary Barr Clay wrote about Kentucky's suffrage activities. She included a report from Glendale in a newspaper called The Revolution.
The report said: "We organized here an association with twenty members the first of October, 1867, and now have fifty. We hope soon to have the whole of Hardin county, and by the close of another year the whole of the State of Kentucky, enlisted on the side of woman's rights." This shows Glendale had one of the first organized groups for women's voting rights in Kentucky.
Glendale's Economy
In April 2009, Governor Steve Beshear announced a big project for Glendale. A group of companies, called the National Alliance for Advanced Transportation Batteries (NAATBatt), chose a large state-owned industrial site. They planned to build a lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant for hybrid and electric cars. This project was expected to create 1,500 to 2,000 jobs.
In September 2021, it was announced that this site would be home to a new Ford battery production facility. This project is called BlueOval SK Battery Park. It is a partnership between Ford and the Korean company SK Innovation. They planned to invest $5.8 billion in two plants. The complex opened in 2025. It employs about 5,000 people and makes batteries for future Ford and Lincoln electric vehicles.
Climate in Glendale
Glendale has hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. This type of weather is known as a humid subtropical climate. On climate maps, it is shown as "Cfa."
Cultural Events and Food
Glendale hosts the annual Glendale Crossing Festival. This popular event takes place on the third Saturday of October. The festival is well known for its many antiques and crafts for sale.
The Whistle Stop restaurant in Glendale is located right by the railroad tracks. It is famous for its southern-style food. The restaurant started as a small lunch business inside a hardware store. James and Idell Sego owned and ran it from 1975 to 2005. Mike and Lynn Cummins owned it from 2005 to 2021. Since 2021, Mike Franz has owned and operated the restaurant. Its traditional style has stayed the same since it opened.
Glendale has special rules for businesses in its downtown area. These rules prevent large fast-food chains from opening there. However, a large corporate convenience store is allowed.
Glendale is about 50 miles (80 km) from Mammoth Cave National Park. This park is one of Kentucky's most popular tourist spots.
